10 Smartest Villain Plans In Movies
5. Sauron's Failsafe - The Lord Of The Rings
Most villains' downfall stems from the fact they overestimate themselves. Even though criminal masterminds like Kingpin and the Joker are defeated time and time again, they always assume their next crime spree will succeed. They rarely consider the possibility that they are destined to fail.
But one person who didn't suffer from this trope was the antagonist of The Lord of the Rings, Sauron. Because he lead the largest army in Middle-Earth and harboured the One Ring, the Ruler of Mordor was the strongest being in existence. Despite his vast power, Sauron wasn't arrogant enough to believe his plans could not end with failure. In the event of his death, The Dark Lord placed a failsafe on the One Ring so his soul would transfer to it.
Despite the fact the Ring could be destroyed in the fires of Mt Doom where it was forged, Sauron poured his dark magic into it so the wielder would be compelled to protect it under any circumstances.
Even after his body was destroyed, this backup plan allowed Sauron to cheat death for 2,500 years.